Tesla SUV targeting women, families

Tesla's third model in Australia will arrive in 2015, with a new focus on female customers.

Tesla SUV targeting women, families

Tesla’s third model in Australia will arrive in 2015, with a new focus on female customers.

The electric car company, which started with the minimalist Lotus-based Roadster before moving to the luxurious Model S sedan, has delayed the introduction of its seven-seat Model X SUV.

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, the eccentric billionaire hoping to rebuild James Bond’s submarine, told shareholders that the Model X will have a broad appeal.

“With the model X we are definitely paying more attention to the needs of women,” he says.

“We probably got a little too guy-centric on the [Model] S, so we’re hoping to correct that with the S.”

Tesla has endured a sweet and sour year that included bouquets for becoming the fastest-growing luxury car brand in the US and brickbats for a run of fires linked to damaged batteries.

Tesla's Model X will arrive in Australia as a seven-seat SUV.

Musk says the Model X production run could be limited by battery availabilty, though he did not say what battery restrictions the company faces.

Exotic design details on the Model X have also contributed toward delays. The car’s gullwing-style “falcon doors” have been confirmed for production, promising practical access to a third row ofd seats as well as easier access to the car in tight spaces.

“That's just taken a bit longer than we would have liked,” Musk says.

“In particular, getting the falcon-wing door right is extremely difficult.”

Final technical details for the Model S have not been confirmed.

But the car will have an electric motor on each axle, and Tesla claims its top-performing Model X can accelerate to 100km/h in less than five seconds - a time that pits it in the same league as Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo SUV.

Tesla's Model X will arrive in Australia as a seven-seat SUV.

Like the Model S, Tesla’s SUV will be available with a choice of 60kWh or 85kWh batteries. Those give sedan customers a maximum range of 390km or 502km, and maximum power outputs ranging from 225kW to 310kW.

Pricing for the luxury SUV has not been confirmed, but customers can reserve a car by putting down a deposit of $6000 or $40,000 through the manufacturer’s website. The car could be significantly cheaper than its rivals, if pricing for the $91,400 Model S is any indication.